Southern California -- this just in

Rose Bowl should make short-term deal with NFL, group says

January 17, 2012 | 3:00
pm

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce is urging city officials to proceed with efforts to host an NFL team at the Rose Bowl for up to four years.

The city, which controls the Rose Bowl Operating Co., has had preliminary discussions with the National Football League about hosting a team on a temporary basis while a permanent stadium is built elsewhere in the region. Competing efforts to lure an NFL franchise to the area are underway in downtown Los Angeles and the City of Industry.

The NFL has made clear that no team will move to Los Angeles for the 2012 season, the Pasadena Sun reported.

But the prospects of bringing an NFL team--or the UCLA Bruins--to the Rose Bowl have met resistance from some Pasadena residents, who say the additional games would generate traffic, noise and garbage. It would also limit access to amenities in and around the Arroyo Seco, where the Rose Bowl is located.

City leaders say the money from such a deal would help fill a $20-million budget deficit from the $160-million renovations and help support city services during lean budget years.

"Without a deal on the table and without knowing what the financial, environmental and neighborhood impacts may be, the chamber board overwhelmingly supported the idea of looking at the Rose Bowl hosting an NFL team on a short-term basis, should that opportunity arise," said Chamber Chief Executive Paul Little in a statement.

"The board felt very strongly that it would be a huge lost opportunity to dismiss the interim NFL team before even hearing what any deal terms may be and without understanding what impacts may result."